Add a Hardcore Mode

This should indeed be implemented and it wouldn't require a lot of work imo.

Forced to play with instruments only, no aim assist and a lower TTK like you said. I'm totally up for that !

I feel this thread needs some love.

Also on topic : Disable guided lasers in Hard Core mode ! Or better, remove them completely from the game.

Yeah, it doesn't seem like it requires too much to add this mode.  Might even attract new players.   

id say that increasing the base max speed and damage of all crafts by 100% would be great, even for the non hardcore modes. the game feels kinda slow, at least regarding speed wise

Why are you pilots not jumping on this thread, it needs to be in he game !

I want this. Say, double or triple damage (or half HP) across the board, no aim-assist, lower rotational inertia maybe.

Interesting idea here. I would definitely give it a try.

But I jumped in to reply when I saw BluesyMoo say LOWER ROTATIONAL INERTIA.

Yes! That is the ONE thing that is the BIGGEST pain about this game. The stupid rotational inertia! I know "in real life" it would take thrusters to do some work to straighten you out. But seriously, this is science fiction. And it's not too farfetched to think they have some very advanced technology that could make it *almost* instantaneous* for your ship to straighten out when your input goes to neutral.

In other words, the ship needs to point where I dang well point it so I can shoot someone down! Back in XWA days, a good pilot / good shot could go from evasive maneuvers, to pointing and shooting, back to evasive maneuvers, to a tight dogfight turn, to pointing and shooting, back to evasive maneuvers, with ease! And get some snap kills along the way.

That cannot be done in Squadrons! Not just the snap kills, but the turning and pointing and shooting part. Instead, you have to "counter-steer" to stop your ship's rotation in a reasonable time, and counter-steering is always guesswork.

I went back and played some XWA this week to see if it was just my imagination or if it was really easier to aim there. I found that there was a *little* rotational intertia, but not to the great degree that Squadrons has it. So it's not that they need to get rid of it entirely, but just cut it down by 2/3 or so. 

If they made it easier to come out of a turn and shoot, they wouldn't even have to mess with damage vs HP; it would instantly become easier to kill stuff... for skilled pilots that is.

I'm playing Squadrons because it's fun, but it is frustrating to not be able to make quick maneuvers and quickly zero in on targets. (If anyone wants to play some XWA, send me a PM lol.) 

Last night, after some rounds of ranked fleet battles with friends, I decided to watch all the fighter clashes from the movies ( having Disney+ has it perks 🥳 ). I have to say this game doesn't capture the danger of getting a fighter on your tale. Damn, even the CGI short gave the impression of a low TTK when shots actually landed.

Hence, I keep advocating towards a hardcore mode with most, if not all of the above posted ideas included. My wish for it grows stronger after every round I play in this game.

"Cut to the left, I'll take the leader !"